Potter > Narnia

I have a bone to pick with the themes of Narnia and a reason I believe the Potter series seem to be more popular and resonant with a lot more people in this time. I don't think the themes of Narnia are acceptable in this day and age because the book itself is written from a very authoritarian. It seems the kids are never encourage to be free thinkers, or risk takers or to act of their own accord. The kids are encourage to be obedient, "good", dependent, and to just go along with things and to never question authority cause it's not what "good" children do. This why I prefer the Potter series. The 5th book itself is one giant FU to authority. I don't like the fact that kids will absorb such messages from the Narnia series "If I don't obey Aslan or "god"(or Teachers, parents, etc.) everything will be ruined." I have no idea why Narnia is a classic and I think a lot of people are thinking the same thing(It's a classic because...my teacher in fourth grade told me so?). I never thought it was a classic or anything above average when I was in fourth grade. It's actually annoying to hear everybody spouting off "It's a timeless classic," with no explanation and without even knowing why they're saying it, not ever questioning why it's a classic. I do think Potter will last, to me the themes in Potter carry more weight and are more universal than Narnia and are important in this day and age. The themes in Potter encourage growth, curiosity, free-thinking, free-will and acceptance of yourself and others. To me these actually conflict with Narnia. Have these kids ever questioned Aslan? Or his motivations? In Narnia it's authority that has the final word and which is seen as the ultimate good. But in Potter, it's freedom.

I personally didnt even like Potter after book three..... and comparing the authority in Narnia (the lion) to the authority in Potter (the ministry) makes little sense to me.. as the lion in Narnia is "good" and the ministry in Potter is "evil".... the lion in Narnia is equivalent to Dumbledore in Potter, and as you will know, Potter keeps asking him for guidance all the way until book 7.... whereas the ministry in Potter, being penetrated by death eaters, is as evil as the witch in Narnia

So no, it has nothing to do with authority vs freedom for me.. this is just plain children's stories about good vs evil the way I read it..

C.S. Lewis wrote the Narnia stories as a Protestant response to what he considered to be the "Catholic" orientation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Now, while Tolkien was Catholic (in an England that still openly discriminated against Catholics) he in no way saw his books as a way to promote his particular theology. In fact, the LOTR is based more on pagan mythology (the ancient Finnish and Scandinavian sagas) than it is on anything specifically Christian.

C.S. Lewis, by contrast, was absolutely deliberate and conscious in his delivery of a Christian message, and a specifically Protestant one at that.

I hated the Narnia books after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Waaay too simplistic and preachy for my tastes, even as a kid.

My literary interpretation of the Narnia is follows; C.S Lewis wrote the Narnia tales to give Britain it's old Christain mythology; The Lion represents the God/Christ figure, where Jadis, The White Witch, symbolizes the dangerous pagan faith that once ruled Europe, but is still lurking in the shadows as a threat; this is demonstrated in the refrence to the White Witch as an older power even greater than Aslan. The kids in Narnia "escape" from their own world to learn they must live their lives as best as they can, their only power being virtue & faith.. You can note Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, as a similar effort to craft a European mythology, one that was as much about history & politics, as it was religion & personal power..Both Narnia & The Rings concern itself with duty..

The Harry Potter tales are unique in that they deal with the "individual" or "the self." In the beginning, Harry is set apart by the death of his parents, which initiates the lose of identity; he is thought a freak by his remaining family, "the Durslys," because he is different, "takes after his mother," and in a real sense, represents the strange, uncontrolable world the Durslys want to hide from.. For Christ sakes, they keep him in a closet..When he finally discovers he is even unique among wizards, he again is forced to survive himself, dark impulses, and people that want to put him in a easily defined box, but he resists by taking the path less traveled...By him & his close friends embracing their "strangness" and thinking for themselves, they triumph and define themselves.. The strange Harry Potter, the runty red headed Ron, the strong, brainy girl, Hermione, the weird flighty Luna, etc; all are modern architypes for the weirdness in us all....

She was stronger and faster, she could control the weather, she's destroyed an entire world (Charn), she stopped Christmas from coming (he never did that!), he was seeking immortality whereas she IS immortal, and possessed a world of magic! That wand of hers - just a toy. If the movies are any indication, she was actually scary, he was pathetic and melodramatic, and sounded like he smoked one too many cigarettes.

She was stronger and faster, she could control the weather, she's destroyed an entire world (Charn), she stopped Christmas from coming (he never did that!), he was seeking immortality whereas she IS immortal, and possessed a world of magic! That wand of hers - just a toy. If the movies are any indication, she was actually scary, he was pathetic and melodramatic, and sounded like he smoked one too many cigarettes.

I prefer Potter to Narnia, but I don't have any particular philsophical beef nor do I think either book is particularly about authority.

That being said, I prefer Jadis to Voldemort. There's no way in hell I'd become a Death Eater, but if you were wandering in the woods, and came upon a giant white lady offering you hot chocolate and Turkish Delights? That's a benefits package Voldemort doesn't offer. Plus, you know, she has a nose.

I'll always love the C.S. Lewis series because of childhood sentimentality, but no longer identify with the overt protestant themes expressed. I enjoy the Potter movies, but have not had time to read the books beyond the second. I do, however, make time time for an at least once yearly Tolkien indulgence. His writing resonate with me as having more literary themes that I enjoy pondering.

Not a single one of you in this thread should be talking about Harry Potter or Narnia. Looking at your pictures, you should be talking about how you want to truss me up with your arms and legs and make manly gladiator love to me.

hahaha you guys dare to compare one thing with another .... Potter against Narnia .... come on! ...

Potter series will always be better in SOOO many levels .... storyline ... production ..... technology .... its a Warner Movie ....

Besides, the way Magic is express in both movies is different. Magic in Harry Potter is express as a power a wizard has that he can convey thru his/her wand

Magic in Narnia is expressed as something different than magic in Harry Potter. Its both magic, but expressed in different ways.

I am a Harry Potter fan and .... i liked Narnia. The latest Narnia movie was a completely fiasco. I know you follow a story from a book but, you could have improve a bit more in production. I know, they change production company, previously owned by Disney i think, and now by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, i wouldnt like to think that Disney's film technology is better than Fox ..... it lacked of lots of things.

Warner on the other side, it's always been considered as one of the companies with more production in its movies. The special effects on Harry Potter movies, kept going better and better. Anyways .... i guess i took the comparison in another area. You guys were talking about something else.